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A sea of red dresses and gowns flowed into the Indiana Convention Center on Thursday to see Vice President Kamala Harris deliver the keynote address at the 56th national convention of Delta Sigma Theta, one of the largest historically Black sororities in the country.
Harris, the first woman and person of color to serve as vice president, addressed a crowd of thousands of sorority sisters wearing crimson and cream, the official colors of Delta Sigma Theta, an organization founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where Harris earned her bachelor’s degree.
In a 20-minute speech, Harris praised the accomplishments of women leaders while criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court for taking away abortion rights, striking down affirmative action and denying President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan.
The vice president, a former U.S. Senator from California and prosecutor who specialized in violent crime, also called out states like Indiana for passing restrictive abortion bans. The Indiana Supreme Court recently upheld Indiana’s ban, which outlaws the procedure except in the case of a fatal fetal anomaly and cases of serious health risk to the mother. Rape survivors can get an abortion up to 10 weeks postfertilization.
“Extremist leaders in states across our nation — states like Indiana — have passed laws that criminalize doctors and punish women,” Harris said. “And on this issue, I know we are all clear: One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.”
Harris also criticized states that ban voting drop boxes, limit access to early voting, and ban food and water giveaways in voting lines. She also called out Florida’s new teaching standards that include instruction on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
“They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us and we will not stand for it,” Harris said, her voice a crescendo.
The visit from the vice president comes as the Biden-Harris administration ramps up its efforts to maintain control of the White House, carve out a larger majority in the Senate and take back Democratic control of the House in 2024.
Since Biden tasked Harris with tackling the issue of migrants crossing U.S. borders, Harris’ approval rating has hovered around 40%, making her one of the most unpopular vice presidents in recent history despite avoiding any major scandals since working on Capitol Hill.
The Indiana GOP saw Harris’ visit as an opportunity to criticize the vice president for what it called “failed leadership” on immigration policy.
“Since being named ‘border czar’ by President Biden over two years ago, the U.S. has seen a historic humanitarian crisis at the southern border, with a record number of encounters and more than 1.4 million illegal immigrants escaping into the country,” Indiana Republican Party Chair Kyle Hupfer said in written remarks. “At the same time, record amounts of fentanyl and other illicit drugs are pouring into the country, wreaking havoc on communities, including here in Indiana.”
Harris last came to Indianapolis one year ago to meet with lawmakers and pro-abortion rights advocates as part of an effort to bolster Democratic lawmakers ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Her visit came on the first day of the Republican-controlled Legislature’s special session, where Republican lawmakers passed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
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